Enhanced High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputter Processes: The trick with the kick

High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPMS) has emerged as a useful approach for depositing highly dense and smooth coatings of electrically conductive materials. Recent advances in power supply technology have further enabled HIPMS through the addition of a positive kick in the pulse cycle which supplies a bias at the surface of the sputter target which expels sputter target ions and sends more charged adatoms toward the substrate. This has been demonstrated with critical materials like diamond-like carbon and plasmonic materials. Material specific pulse magnitudes and durations can be developed to achieve new novel thin film morphologies.